TOURISTS PLEASED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19700, 4 August 1938, Page 11

TOURISTS PLEASED

VISITORS TO GISBORNE UNANTICIPATED DETOUR PARTY FROM HONOLULU Forced to depart from the itinerary arranged for their stay in New Zealand, a party of overseas tourists found in Gisborne last night a comfortable and interesting haven. This morning they continued their journey northward, after expressing their satisfaction with the change in their plans which had made the Gisborne visit possible. All undertook to make the attractions of this district known to their friends abroad who might later visit the Dominion. The party consisted of 15 women and two men, one of the latter being a medical man. Nearly all were from Honolulu, and the tourists were an interesting cross-section of the population of that island group, for in addition to Europeans there were members of the native Hawaiian race, and also two representatives of imported Japanese stock, now thoroughly established in Hawaii. Under the guidance of a New Zealand woman, and the general supervision of the South Island Travel Association, the party had undertaken an extensive tour of the Dominion, and had already seen the major features of the South Island before coming north. The travel association is a live body, which has been operating for some time with considerable success. It is only this year, however, that its operations have been extended to embrace parts of the North Island. Waikaremoana Road Blocked ■lt had been the intention of the tourists to proceed from Napier to Rotorua via Waikaremoana, but the effect of the recent weather on the roads discouraged this intention, and it was resolved instead to proceed via Gisborne and Opotiki. So far from being a boresome addition to the mileage of the tour, the inclusion of Gisborne proved a happy choice so far as the tourists were concerned. They reached town in good time, having travelled in daylight from Napier and had ample opportunity of appreciating the scenic attractions of the journey, and also the exceptionally interesting panorama of Poverty Bay obtained from the summit of the Wharerata Hill. Accommodation and Service Staying the night at the Masonic Hotel, the visitors expressed their entire satisfaction with the accommodation and service available to tourists in this centre. So delighted were they, to find modern and spacious hotel accommodation at the end of yesterday’s journey that many of them declared the Masonic to be the most hospitable house in which they had rested in New Zealand. The departure of the tourists this morning was made amidst an exchange 01 salutations with the hotel management and staff. The probability of Gisborne being included in the itinerary of a party of 50 overseas visitors, for which the South Island Travel Association already has made preliminary arrangements, was mentioned by the association’s touring manager before today’s departure, and if this eventuates it should be the forerunner of many more visits of the kind. The importance of good hotel accommodation and service were emphasised in connection with the arrangement of itineraries, and it 1 * was stated that many people in New Zealand were unaware of the modern facilities available in this district.